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March g 1926. 1,574,969 W. E. HATHEWAY BUCKLE Filed August 21, 1924 Tlq-l 3 g. 2 k 1/ i vr:

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ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

i I UNITED STATES WILLIAM E. HATHEWAY, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

BUCKLE.

Application filed; August 21, 1924. Serial No. 733,278.

To all whom it may concern .1

Be it known that I, XVILLIAM E. HA'rnn- \VAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairtield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles :1 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artv to which it apperta'rns, to make and use the same.

My invention relates to buckles of the character adapted for suspenders and articles of like character, it being an improvement on my former application, Serial No. 676,218, wherein teeth were formed on the inner edge of the opening in the floor and at right angles thereto. to engage the web b-ing when forced there-against by the floor clannpin-g sections. This arrangement proved more or less of a hindrance and loss of time in assembling the webbing to the buckle, and especially so when the upturned ears of the buckle frame were set at a more or less obtuse angle to the floor of the frame. Even with the floor teeth removed, the obtuse angle of the cars will restrict the webbing opening more or less and thus prevent easy threading of the webbing.

My present invention consists in forming teeth on the inner edge of the clamping floor sections and deflecting the same to form claws to engage the webbing when the sections areclosed. The sections are adapted to be temporarily elevated above the floor to form a stop for the end of the webbing when the ears are approximately at right angles to the floor, and deflected below the floor and for the same purpose, when the obtuse angle of the ears obstruct the free entrance of the webbing above the floor.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several v1ews:

Figure 1 represents a detail plan view of the buckle frame, showing the ears inturned and set at an obtuse angle to the floor of the frame Figure 2 is a plan view of the assembled buckle showing the floor clamping sections deflected below the floor and the ears thrown back or at an obtuse angle thereto- Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 2, and broken view of the webbing Figure 4 is a plan view of an assembled Figure 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the buckle frame showing the floor clamping section elevated above the fioorand the ears at right angles thereto;

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the frame and webbing and full view of the closed lever, showing. the elevated type of floor clamping sections closed.

Figure 8 is an enlarged broken detail View of a part of the floor of the frame andv bar showing one of the ears" before its elevation, and

Figure 9' is an enlarged broken detail rear view of the floor of the frame and bar showing one of the ears elevated.

The buckle frame consists of a single piece of metal comprising the, floor 1, ears 2 and bar 3. The initial blanking operation, Figure 1, pierces the openings 5, 6, 7 and8. The remaining, portion of the floor is broken away to form the clamping sections 9 and 10 having the teeth 11, 12, also pierced from the floor 1. The openings 5,. 6, 7,. and 8, and the clamping sections, when elevated above the floor or depressed. below the same, leaves the elongated opening 13 merging into the V-shaped openings 14 from which openings the teeth of the clamping sections 9 and 10 were pierced. In Figure 2 and Figure 3, these clamping sections are shown depressed below the floor with their teeth 11, 12, elevated at right angles to said sections to form claws to engage and hold the webbing.

The lever 15 is of the usual one-piece type having the eyes 16 journaled on the bar 3. .The blade 15 of the lever is provided with the usual teeth 17.

Vvhen the ears 2 are thrown back at an obtuse angle to the floor of the buckle frame,

as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the opening 5 will be correspondingly narrowed, which will more or less retard the free insertion of the webbing in proportion as this angle is increased or diminished. Where there is any such obstruction, I prefer to depress the clamping sections 9, 10, below the floor to form a stop for the end of the webbing 18, which webbing is also located below the floor. The sections 9, 10, are then closed as shown in Figures 4 and 5. With the end of the webbing thus anchored to the floor sections the remaining portion of the Webbing will pass around under the sections and over the upper surface of the floor, see arrows, Figure 5, and under the grip of the blade 15 of the lever 15. It may be noted, that, while the webbing in this construction does not fully cover both sides of the floor, it provides for the free insertion of the same when the ears are unduly thrown back.

When the ears 2 .are erect, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, or are not thrown back so far as to obstruct free entrance of the webbing above the floor, the floor clamping sections are elevated above the floor, as shown. In this construction, the webbing 18 is first passed over the floor 1 of the frame with its end abutting the base of the upturned clamping sections, as shown in Figure 6. The sections are then closed down onto the underlying end of the webbing, Figure 7, and said webbing is then carried over a portion of the upper surface of the buckle frame and thence under the lever 15 and around the edge of the frame and returned, see arrows, to form the loop 19, thence over the frame and under the grip of the lever 15. This manner of threading the webbing will fully cover the metal of the frame and form what is known as a rustless buckle.

It is customary to form the supporting ear's by turning up the edges of the frame to give them the necessary strength. This requires additional metal which adds materially to the costof the buckle. To cheapen the construction and give the ears sufficient support, I allow only sufficient metal for the ears and reenforce their base by the small fillet a, said fillet and base of the ears practically in line with the inner edge I) of the floor. Elevating the ears above the floor of the frame will also bring them at right angles to their fillets, and impart a twisting effectto their base and thus add additional strength thereto. I- propose also to incline the sides 0 for the purpose of concealing the same within the webbing as well as means for reducing the stock.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. An integral webbing holding sheet metal buckle frame comprising a floor, upturned ears and a lever supporting bar in spaced relation with the floor to form a slot, said floor having elongated webbing clamping sections pierced therefrom, said sections adapted to be temporarily offset from the floor to form a stop for the end of webbing, said sections having teeth formed on their inner edges and disposed therefrom toward the floor to form retaining claws for the webbing.

2. A sheet metal buckle of the character described comprising a one piece frame hav- H ing a floor, ears and a cross bar in spaced relation with the floor to form a slot, a lever journaled on the bar, said ears reenforced at their base and inturned at an angle to said floor, the base of the ears and reenforce practically on a line with the edge of the fioor underlying'the lever, said floor having elongated webbing clamping sections pierced therefrom, said sections adapted to be offset from the floor to form a stop for the end of webbing, said sections having teeth formed on their inner edge and disposed therefrom toward the floor to form retaining claws for the webbing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

IVILLIAM E. HATHEWAY. 

